Transparency of Unicon host finances (Closed for comments)
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Started
I know that this has been an issue in the past. And I think that there should be a section in the rulebook that should include transparency regarding financial budget as requirement for hosts and maybe also limits regarding profits that are allowed to be made?
I don't have a clear idea for this yet but I definitely wanted to start this discussion.
Comment
That's an interesting topic. Who "owns" the Unicon? The organization that's hosting are the ones taking the financial risk, but in most cases they are getting help from multiple sources such as sponsors, local government funding and the IUF (in the form of advice). While I very much agree we should know where our registration money is going, I'm not sure how much right we have to demand that information from a private entity.
Unless we make it part of the agreement that's made between the IUF and a Unicon host...
And if we do that, we probably need a fairly specific set of requirements of what type of reporting will be required, and when.
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I am not aware of this having been an issue in the past. From this "free" position, I tend to think that financial transparency should not be required. The host is the one running the financial risk and it's up to them how they deal with that. If the entry fee is some x amount of money, each rider decides whether they want to pay that or not.
I don't usually demand financial transparency from my garage, dentist or plumber. It's not my business. I realise that a Unicon host has a monopoly: there is no competing organisation offering Unicon cheaper (or more generally, on different conditions). But if a host would make Unicon too expensive and spend the money carelessly, they would cut themselved in the fingers as we say in Dutch. I think that this will keep prices in check and ensure that a host will do their best to act wisely.
But hey, I might be naive.
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